non-Greek origin of the ancient Macedonians. Naturally, as a
Greek, he spoke Greek during his stay in Macedonia. There is no
evidence that these conversations were facilitated by interpreters,
but it is disingenuous for the signatories to argue that, simply
because leading Macedonians spoke Greek - the language of their
neighbors - that those Macedonians were in fact “Greeks”.
On the language of the ancient Macedonians
We will now turn our attention to the signatories‟ assessment
of the language of the ancient Macedonians:
"Another northern Greek, Aristotle, went off to study for nearly
20 years in the Academy of Plato. Aristotle subsequently returned
to Macedonia and became the tutor of Alexander III. They used
Greek in their classroom which can still be seen near Naoussa in
Macedonia."
With regard to the use of language, we also read the following:
"Alexander carried with him throughout his conquests
Aristotle‟s edition of Homer‟s Iliad. Alexander also spread Greek
language and culture throughout his empire, founding cities and
establishing centers of learning. Hence, inscriptions concerning
such typical Greek institutions as the gymnasium are found as far
away as Afghanistan. They are all written in Greek. The questions
follow: Why was Greek the lingua franca all over Alexander‟s
empire if he was a 'Macedonian'? Why was the New Testament,
for example, written in Greek?"
Aristotle was born in Stagira (a Greek colony, mainly inhabited
by Greeks, on the Macedonian coast, which was destroyed by
Philip II during his anti-Greek campaign, when he drove all Greek
colonists from Macedonia‟s Aegean shores). There is no evidence
on the ethnic origin of his parents. However, we do know that his
father, Nicomachus, was Philip II‟s personal doctor. We can
assume that he was Macedonian. Generally, those closest to the